Miller confirms California-based trio for Belmont Racing Festival

Press Release

June 02, 2018 04:02pm

Photo: Benoit

Peter Miller confirmed Conquest Tsunami, Stormy Liberal, and Multiplier for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival after the three runners turned in separate five-furlong workouts this morning at the San Luis Rey Training Center.

Conquest Tsunami and Stormy Liberal, respectively second and third in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on March 31 at Meydan Racecourse, are on target for the Grade 2, $400,000 Jaipur Invitational, while Multiplier, 10th in last year's Belmont Stakes, will be returning to Belmont for Grade 1, $1 million Woodford Reserve Manhattan. Both races will be contested on the turf next Saturday and are for 4-year-olds and up.

"All three worked great and are back where we want them to be," said Miller by phone. "Conquest Tsunami worked in 1:00 1/5 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 2/5. Stormy Liberal went in 1:01 2/5 and galloped out in 1:13. Those two went by themselves. I got Multiplier in 1:01 and change [officially in 1:01 1/5] and he galloped out in 1:13. He went in company because he's a little lazy and I wanted to give him a target."

Stormy Liberal, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Rockingham Ranch and David A. Bernsen, finished eighth in the 2017 Jaipur before returning five months later to post a 30-1 upset in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. He was 11th in the Hong Kong Sprint before launching his 2018 campaign with seconds in the Grade 3 Daytona in February at Santa Anita and in the Al Quoz Sprint.

Conquest Tsunami began his career with trainer Mark Casse before joining the Miller barn last fall, escaping the San Luis Rey Fire, in Miller's words, "relatively unscathed." He easily won an optional claimer in January and the Grade 3 Daytona in February at Santa Anita before setting the pace and battling on well to finish third in the Al Quoz sprint.

"Conquest Tsunami is a very fast, speedy horse, while Stormy Liberal likes to come from a little off the pace," said Miller. "They complement each other."

Multiplier was transferred to Miller following his 3-year-old season, which included a victory in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby. He made three starts on dirt for Miller before making his turf debut last time out, taking an optional claimer by a nose May 13 at Santa Anita.

"His pedigree says grass as he is by The Factor, so we wanted to try him on that surface," Miller said of Multiplier, who is owned by Wachtel Stable, George J. Kerr, and Gary Barber. "He ran a big race last time and he fits on the Ragozin Sheets, but he'll have to step forward."

Miller also will start Bobby Abu Dhabi in the Grade 2, $250,000 True North at 6 ½ furlongs on Friday. Bobby Abu Dhabi, a 4-year-old owned by Rockingham and Bernsen, was second to City of Light in the Grade 1 Triple Bend in March before posting his first graded stakes victory in the Grade 2 Kona Gold in April. The Macho Uno colt worked five furlongs in 59 2/5 seconds on Friday and is slated to have a blowout on Monday.

"[Bobby Abu Dhabi] has really matured for us the past few months," said Miller. "He's become a bigger, stronger version of the horse we had last year."

Miller said all four of his Belmont Stakes Racing Festival horses will fly to New York on Tuesday.